Shipbuilding company Gulf Ship on Wednesday announced an expansion effort in Gulfport, Mississippi. The $43.81 million project will create 121 jobs, officials said.
Gulf Ship, a subsidiary of Louisiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore, has operated in Gulfport for more than 20 years and is undertaking a major modernization of its existing shipbuilding and steel fabrication facilities.
The project will expand Gulf Ship’s production capacity, introduce advanced manufacturing technologies, and further position the Gulfport operation to support growing demand for U.S.-built commercial and government vessels.
The project includes significant upgrades to existing production buildings and supporting infrastructure, as well as the installation new automated steel fabrication and assembly equipment. Planned investments include advanced panel and subassembly production lines, T-beam fabrication equipment, automated and robotic welding systems, material handling improvements and other modern shipbuilding technologies that will improve production efficiency, increase capacity and enhance worker safety.
State economic development agency Mississippi Development Authority and Harrison County will provide undisclosed incentives to support the project.
Gulf Ship expects to complete the upgrades by the fourth quarter of 2027 and plans to fill the 121 jobs by 2028.
"There is a tremendous amount of focus nationally on rebuilding America’s shipbuilding industrial base, and Mississippi has an important role to play in that effort," Edison Chouest Offshore CEO Gary Chouest said in a statement. "This project is about investing in American shipbuilding, expanding domestic manufacturing capacity and giving our workforce the facilities, equipment and technology needed to compete at the highest level."
